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Power amplifiers stereo — Hegel H20
Description, images, technical data and specifications
Hegel H20
Image source - (c) Hegel
The H20 is a two-channel power amplifier by Hegel, the Oslo company founded by Bent Holter in 1988. Its core design comes from Hegel's H30 reference amplifier, and it uses the company's patented SoundEngine error-correction modules in a dual-mono layout housed in an anodised aluminium chassis.
Key specs that matter
Hegel rates the H20 at more than 200 W per channel into 8 ohms, and peak current exceeds 130 A. Frequency response stays within 0.2 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with phase deviation below 2 degrees over the same range. Signal-to-noise is above 100 dB and crosstalk below -100 dB. Distortion is under 0.006% at 100 W into 8 ohms, and intermodulation is under 0.01%. The damping factor is above 1000. Input impedance is 10 kohm balanced and 50 kohm unbalanced. The chassis is 120 mm high, 430 mm wide and 370 mm deep, and the amplifier weighs 25 kg.
Engineering and use context
SoundEngine is a feed-forward correction technique. It measures the distortion created in the output stage and cancels it before it reaches the speaker, without relying only on global negative feedback, and the modules in the H20 are laser-trimmed. The input stage uses Hegel's FET technology. A 1000 VA dual-mono power supply with 90,000 uF of filter capacitance feeds an output stage of 20 high-speed bipolar transistors, with a rating of 15 A and 200 W per device. The front panel alone contains more than 1.5 kg of aluminium, and the top and side covers share its bead-blasted finish. Two pairs of heavy gold-plated speaker terminals allow bi-wiring. Idle consumption with no signal is about 60 W. The H20 comes in black only, and its single front button switches the power, leaving every other control to the preamplifier. There is no volume control, so the level has to be set earlier in the chain, by a preamplifier, a DAC that offers level adjustment or a streamer with a variable output.
Pairing
The high output and high damping factor make the H20 suitable for big floorstanders of low sensitivity and speakers whose impedance dips low. The balanced input is an easy load for any preamplifier with XLR outputs, Hegel's own P30A among them, and the full-width chassis fits standard equipment racks.
Alternatives
Hegel's H30A is the larger reference power amplifier, which also works bridged as a mono amplifier.
Key specs that matter
Hegel rates the H20 at more than 200 W per channel into 8 ohms, and peak current exceeds 130 A. Frequency response stays within 0.2 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with phase deviation below 2 degrees over the same range. Signal-to-noise is above 100 dB and crosstalk below -100 dB. Distortion is under 0.006% at 100 W into 8 ohms, and intermodulation is under 0.01%. The damping factor is above 1000. Input impedance is 10 kohm balanced and 50 kohm unbalanced. The chassis is 120 mm high, 430 mm wide and 370 mm deep, and the amplifier weighs 25 kg.
Engineering and use context
SoundEngine is a feed-forward correction technique. It measures the distortion created in the output stage and cancels it before it reaches the speaker, without relying only on global negative feedback, and the modules in the H20 are laser-trimmed. The input stage uses Hegel's FET technology. A 1000 VA dual-mono power supply with 90,000 uF of filter capacitance feeds an output stage of 20 high-speed bipolar transistors, with a rating of 15 A and 200 W per device. The front panel alone contains more than 1.5 kg of aluminium, and the top and side covers share its bead-blasted finish. Two pairs of heavy gold-plated speaker terminals allow bi-wiring. Idle consumption with no signal is about 60 W. The H20 comes in black only, and its single front button switches the power, leaving every other control to the preamplifier. There is no volume control, so the level has to be set earlier in the chain, by a preamplifier, a DAC that offers level adjustment or a streamer with a variable output.
Pairing
The high output and high damping factor make the H20 suitable for big floorstanders of low sensitivity and speakers whose impedance dips low. The balanced input is an easy load for any preamplifier with XLR outputs, Hegel's own P30A among them, and the full-width chassis fits standard equipment racks.
Alternatives
Hegel's H30A is the larger reference power amplifier, which also works bridged as a mono amplifier.
Specifications
Model name
H20
Input sensitivity (mV)
N/A
Input impedance (balanced) (Ω)
10 000
Input impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
50 000
Output impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Output impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Max current (A)
N/A
Output power (8Ω) (W)
200
Output power (4Ω) (W)
N/A
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (Hz)
20
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (Hz)
20 000
Signal to Noise Ratio (dB)
>100
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (0% global feedback) (%)
N/A
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (100% global feedback) (%)
<0.006
Max power consumption (W)
60
Damping factor
>1000
Dimensions (mm)
145 x 430 x 370
Weight (kg)
25
Official link
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